At the January, 2025 meeting of the Southwest Board of Trustees, the board unanimously approved tenure and promotion for Dr. Marlon Johnson. His promotion to the rank of Associate Professor will take effect in the new academic year.
“Congratulations to Dr. Johnson for his well deserved tenure and promotion!” said Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president. “He has excelled in the areas of teaching, scholarship, service, and collegiality, making this an easy decision and a cause for celebration. Dr. Johnson brings positive and constructive energy to all he does. His passion for learning and service are contagious, which is a gift both to his colleagues and his students. He has established himself as a central figure in his areas of research, and he continues to contribute to his guild and his community in transformative ways. I am especially happy that he has been willing to bring all of his knowledge and experience to bear on his new position as dean of community life. His presence and his work make us a better community and for that I am grateful.”
This past August, it was announced the Dr. Johnson had been appointed Dean of Community Life, a reenvisioned leadership role overseeing Beloved Community initiatives and other student life responsibilities.
“I’m excited to be granted tenure and promotion here at Seminary of the Southwest,” said Dr. Johnson. “There is a great joy in knowing that the service and scholarship to my field, the labor and encouragement of my ancestors, and the care and commitment of my colleagues all culminated in this great accomplishment.”
Dr. Johnson began his term on the faculty of Seminary of the Southwest in 2019. He is a licensed professional counselor with a focus on narrative and child-centered play therapy techniques. He completed his PhD in counselor education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Fall, 2019. Johnson served as a 2018 doctoral fellow for the National Board of Certified Counselors and as the Tennessee Counseling Association’s NBCC Liaison. His research centers on recruitment experiences for African-American men into counseling programs, the intersectionality of LGBTQ identity and faith orientation, continuing multicultural counselor education, and college and career readiness in rural Appalachia.
